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January 26 to February 1, 2011

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R5,50 (incl vaT Rsa) Reg no. 1920/002058/06

Education hopes for 2011

Church outreach to Seafarers Page 9

Page 2

no 4711

Did Jesus drink alcohol? Page 7

SA joy at JPII beatification By CLaiRE MaThiEson

Pilgrims from the diocese of Port Elizabeth are seen at a team-building weekend in Jeffrey’s Bay as part of their preparation for this year’s World youth Day to be held in Madrid, spain. The pilgrims have been preparing by incorporating spirituality, fundraising and social engagements into their journey. They will attend the international event in august which carries the theme: “Rooted and built up in Jesus Christ, Firm in the Faith”.

Pope urges young drivers to be careful P OPE Benedict asked young people not to hide their energy and enthusiasm, but to be realistic about the risks they take and, especially, to be extra careful when driving. Speaking in Italian at the end of his weekly general audience, Pope Benedict addressed young people after offering special greetings and prayers to about 100 members of “Children in Heaven”, an Italian association of parents whose children have died. The pope told the parents he knew it

took strength not to be crushed by “the often tragic death of your children”, and he urged them to look to Mary as a sign that parents are right to hope in the eternal life of their children who die before them. But he also said he wanted to address young people: “In the exuberance of your youth, don’t forget to calculate risks and act at every moment with prudence and a sense of responsibility, especially when you are driving an automobile and have your life and that of others in your hands.”

Jesus was a refugee By John Thavis

ESUS was a refugee—a fact that should be remembered as societies deal with modern issues of emigration and immigration, Pope Benedict said. “Migration today sometimes is voluntary and at other times, unfortunately, is forced by wars or persecution, often in dramatic conditions,” the pope said. From its very beginnings, the Church has taken an interest in these situations, he said. “The parents of Jesus had to flee their own land and take refuge in Egypt, in order to save the life of their child: the Messiah, the son of God, was a refugee,” he said. Throughout the centuries, he said, Christian populations have at times suffered the necessity to leave their homelands, impov-

erishing the countries where they and their ancestors had lived. On the other hand, the pope said, the voluntary migration of Christians through the ages has increased the Church’s missionary dynamism and ensured that the witness of faith reaches new frontiers. The pope made the remarks at the Vatican on a day that was celebrated in most countries as the World Day for Migrants and Refugees. Late last year, he issued a message on the theme of this year’s celebration, “One Human Family”. The pope said he wanted his message to underline that in the Church’s vision, human migration has a unifying goal: to form a single human family that is enriched by differences but that lives without barriers.—CNS

N May 1, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI will beatify John Paul II (pictured) and the news has been welcomed by both local and international Catholics. Cardinal Wilfrid Napier, Archbishop of Durban said there was no doubt that Pope John Paul was a great man of God. “He had a deep spirituality which was firmly grounded in his strong faith in and warm love for Jesus Christ,” said Cardinal Napier. “There was always something about him that left you knowing that you were in the presence of a great and holy man, and yet you could feel quite comfortable and at ease with him, even crack a joke with him,” said Cardinal Napier who added that the late pontiff had a way of looking at any person that left one feeling that their true feelings had been observed. The cardinal said Pope John Paul will be remembered for his “soft spot for Africa in general and for the bishops of Africa in particular”. Cardinal Napier said while it was clear Pope John Paul loved all Africa, he believes South Africa was special for the pope. “I recall that he expressed delight when it was announced at the 1994 Synod for Africa that the South African contingent would be absent from a session of the Synod because they were all going to vote for the new South Africa to come into existence.” The cardinal said the memory came to mind during the recent vote in Southern Sudan, where he was part of a monitoring delegation. Internationally, the news has also been well received, with reports from St Peter’s Square in Rome of crowds of young people calling for the late pontiff’s sainthood now. Pope John Paul II was known for his affinity with the youth. During his installation ceremony in 1978, the newly named pope told youths: “You are the future of the world, you are the hope of the Church, you are my hope.” Wendy Rogers, a Catholic teacher at a public school in Alberton, Johannesburg thought it was “amazing that the pope I’ve known for such a long time is being beatified”! When questioned about the necessity of more saints, Ms Rogers said she thought the Vatican was trying to get people back to Church. “He is someone that the people loved. He was the people’s pope. Now he could be the people’s saint,” she said, excited about the idea. It is also fitting that the year Pope John Paul will be beatified will coincide with World Youth Day, an international event initiated by John Paul in 1985. This year’s event will be held in Madrid, Spain in August. Alex Woolcock, a criminology student, said she remembered the pope being quite accessible and “worldly”. “He seemed wholesome and made himself accessible to the masses through the many languages I remember seeing him speak.” Ms Woolcock said she felt “good about him being the pope”. Pope John Paul would have been the first pontiff in her lifetime and has become a benchmark in the Catholic Church for her. “I felt like he knew everything,” she added. While Ms Woolcock thought Pope John Paul was an excellent candidate for sainthood, she said she was unaware of any miracles he may have performed. Similarly, a former St George’s College student, from Harare, Zimbabwe, Jonathan Meyer said he did not fully understand Pope John Paul’s role at the time or any miracles

that might have occurred. “I remember him as being an influential figure, but more in terms of being a religious politician,” said Mr Meyer, who is no longer a practising Catholic. “I think he was a good role model in that he was a good person, a pope.” Mr Meyer said the beatification was of little importance in comparison to his life on Earth. “His position is not relevant to me anymore, nor will him being declared a saint.” Mr Meyer said, adding he thought that John Paul was more important while alive. Dene McLeod of the Good Shepherd parish in Bothasig, Cape Town said the beatification was definitely good news. Mr McLeod said the late pontiff was well respected by both Catholics and non-Catholics and added “his support of Vatican II and reformation of the liturgy mark him as one of the bravest and greatest leaders the Catholic Church has had”. Mr McLeod said he thought saints were true spiritual role models as they are truly selfless unlike “the many dubious celebrities that are offered up as role models by the media today”. Cardinal Napier has expressed the special significance the beatification holds for him personally. “While it was Pope Paul VI who appointed me Apostolic Administrator, all the other appointments were made by Pope John Paul II—Bishop in December 1980; Archbishop in June 1992 and Cardinal in January 2001. Hopefully, some of the virtue and holiness which are now being recognised in the Servant of God John Paul II will trickle down to those of us who worked rather closely with him,” the cardinal said. While questions have been raised about the miracles performed and the speed at which these were investigated, there has been a wave of international support for the beatification. The announcement of Pope John Paul’s beatification was made in early January through unanimous approval by the cardinals and bishops of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, making international headlines.

The southern Cross, January 26 to February 1, 2011

LOCAL

Catholic schools class of 2010 top of their class By CLaiRE MaThiEson

HE new school year has started and with it comes high hopes for the future, said director of the Catholic Institution of Education (CIE), Mark Potterton. Mr Potterton said the most recent matric class from the Catholic schooling system received the highest pass rate in recent years. “The overall improvement in the pass rate of 7.2% is excellent,” he said. “Reports from Catholic schools indicate that the students have performed well. The overall Catholic school pass rate is 88.9%, which is the highest rate achieved in the last six years.” Catholic schools are represented by both the national government examinations and the Independent Examinations Board (IEB). The national average increase resulted in an overall pass rate of 67.8%. More than 640 000 Grade 12 pupils countrywide completed their senior certificate exams. Some 8 285 pupils from 172 schools who wrote the IEB examinations saw an overall pass rate of 98.38%, up by 1% from 2009. Mr Potterton admitted that he did not anticipate the increase. “The extended school holiday over the World Cup and the prolonged teachers’ strike impacted on the majority of public schools, and I

thought that this would have an adverse impact on performance “Thankfully the catch-up programmes, study groups, extra lessons and television and other initiatives seem to have made an impact,” he said. Mr Potterton added that another factor that contributed to the improvement was the familiarity teachers have with the new examination structure which meant that they were better equipped to prepare students for the examination. President Jacob Zuma was also among the first to offer his congratulations to the class of 2010. In a statement, Mr Zuma said it was an “exciting day” for both government and South Africa. “Education is an apex priority of the government and we are determined to continue investing a lot of time, money and other resources in it. The 2010 results indicate that we are on the right track.” The president also offered encouragement to those who did not make the grade, reminding matriculants that he was denied the chance of attaining a senior certificate due to his involvement in the struggle for South Africa’s liberation. The CIE director said many township and rural Catholic schools were affected by the teachers’ strike. “I know firsthand of some that

continued teaching despite the threats. One particular school kept in touch with students and provided study notes. Students rallied together and formed study groups helping each other. Where possible, teachers provided covert lessons to students in key areas of the curriculum.” Mr Potterton said other strategies included efforts to complete the curriculum before the mid-year break, and to use the time after the break for revision. Top achievers, according to the IEB, included a St Henry’s Marist Brothers’ College student from Durban. According to Rowan Phillips from the school, Dipeel Parbhoo, the College’s 2010 head boy, received seven distinctions. “His was the crowning achievement of the 19th matric class running from St Henry’s to obtain a 100% pass,” said Mr Phillips. Other top Catholic schools in the IEB examinations included Sacred Heart College in Observatory, Johannesburg, St Dominic’s Catholic School for Girls in Boksburg, and Springfield Convent in Cape Town. The CIE represents 355 Catholic schools serving 175 000 students. In 2010, the CIE worked with the department of education, drawing up new curricula that would

Programme for education on Vatican II sTaFF REPoRTER

UILDING up to the 50th anniversary of Pope John XXIII’s opening of the Vatican II Council in November 2012, a large group of Catholic organisations throughout South Africa have agreed to participate in the education programme Hope & Joy. The programme, which has been initiated under the guidance of the Jesuit Institute in Johannesburg, will be formally launched at Easter. Its aim is to reach out to people to educate them about the Council, and to deepen the knowledge of those who do, as

well as to communicate how the teachings of Vatican II can be applied in daily life. The Hope & Joy network will have a distinctive logo that will enable different organisations to work together on the programme and to benefit by association. The network includes Catholic media, education bodies, religious orders, pastoral initiatives, and family ministries. The concept encourages participants to use their freedom in creating and presenting material on their own, but materials will also be made available through a wide variety of media. “There will be booklets, leaflets, columns in newspapers, one-off lectures, videos, training courses, parish events, radio programmes, and so on,” said Raymond Perrier, Direc-

tor of the Jesuit Institute. “Each of these will be linked by the name Hope & Joy, which will appear on every activity in the programme regardless of which organisation initiates it. Thus, the different elements, although run by various Catholic agencies, will be seen as parts of a much bigger whole.” “We want to create as broad a Catholic network as possible, and so if there are organisations out there who have not been contacted they should email us,” Mr Perrier added. He stressed that the initiative is not part of the Jesuit Institute but a genuine network. “There will also be a Hope & Joy website from which parishes, schools, and other organisations and individuals will be able to access and download useful material,” he said. ■ For more information e-mail info@hopeandjoy.org.za

Catholic schools throughout the country have excelled in the recent matric results with an 88.9% pass rate. however, it is in the foundation phase where all the groundwork is set for good results at the higher education level. (Photo: Claire Mathieson)

improve education in the country further. Looking to the new education year, Mr Potterton said the improvements in the overall pass rate in 2010 are “encouraging and certainly

provide a sense of hope for the country”. “If teachers and students can apply themselves with the same enthusiasm then things can only get better.”

Abortion controversy marks 14 years By CLaiRE MaThiEson

EBRUARY 1 will mark the 14th anniversary of the implementation on the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act in South Africa. Since the act was passed, the Human Sciences Research Council estimates that close to one million abortions have been performed. While the Catholic Church is strongly opposed to the act, the Church has invested its efforts in various pregnancy crisis centres around the country. Marian Villa, in Port Elizabeth is one According to Frank Wightman of the Port Elizabeth diocese, Marian Villa is a home for women in a pregnancy crisis situation who have decided against

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abortion. The home was opened under the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference’s Right to Live campaign in May 1999 by Bishop Michael Coleman. The Campaign continues to operate through the Mater Homes which currently run eight homes around the country under the directorship of Fr Massimo Biancalani. Marian Villa, however, is currently under the management of the Knights of Da Gama. Mr Wightman said the Port Elizabeth home employs permanent staff who act as house mothers to “ensure that the ethos of a Catholic home is maintained and which will give the lady residents the love and peace necessary to restore their dignity and pride and give them the base for a renewed life”. Marian Villa has had more than 100 babies born since its opening. “The main objective, namely the protection of the unborn, is being achieved,” said Mr Wightman. The home also stresses the importance of reconciliation, and encourages the women to communicate with parents and boyfriends. According to Mr Wightman one of the biggest challenges facing the home is finance. “Currently funds are mainly being provided by events organised by some of the clergy in the Port Elizabeth diocese and the Knights of Da Gama, with generous support from the Catholic Women’s League, private individuals and religious orders,” he said.

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LOCAL

The southern Cross, January 26 to February 1, 2011

Little Eden founder, inpsired by faith, dies at 92 By CLaiRE MaThiEson

TAFF, family and friends are mourning the loss of Little Eden Society founder, Domitilla Rota-Hyams, who passed away on January 18 at age 92. Born and raised in a small village in Italy, Mrs Rota-Hyams met South African Danny Hyams during the World War II where he was an escaped prisoner of war. After marrying and moving to South Africa, Mrs Rota-Hyams asked her husband to help her start a daycare centre for children with intellectual disability. Her vision was to care for people “no matter how profoundly disabled a person may be; he or she is still a whole complete being, with a body, a mind; a spirit and a soul”. According to Hanneli Esterhuysen, publicist for Little Eden, the centre was founded when Mr Hyams gave his wife R10 in 1967. “She was joined by some friends of the Catholic, Methodist, Anglican and Dutch Reformed denominations and they started with three little girls in daycare,” she said. Apart from offering relief to mothers of disabled children, the centre wanted to dispel the negativity around sufferers of intellectual disabilities in the community. She believed this was her duty in the divine plan. “Shortly afterwards, Domitilla

had an apparition of the Madonna, who seemed to be offering her a group of children. This apparition, which Domitilla interpreted as the Madonna’s silent confirmation of her initiative, was the beginning of an incredible journey,” said Ms Esterhuysen. Today, Little Eden cares for 300 children and adults with intellectual disabilities in Edenvale, Johannesburg, and has affected many more lives. One donor described Mrs RotaHyams’s work as inspirational: “Because of what she had done; because of her example, she had inspired me to turn my life around and reach out to others also.” The average age of Little Eden residents is 20. The average intellectual age is one. Some function at newborn level and others are able to manage basic tasks. Ms Esterhuysen said the home has been specifically organised to care for the needs of the residents. Grouped according to their abilities and behaviour, the children benefit from occupational, hydrotherapy, physiotherapy and music therapy, metamorphosis and reflexology. “The children also enjoy creative activities such as painting and singing, and playing with lego, puzzles and other educational toys. Horse-riding and other outdoor activities are part of life at Elvira

Founder of the Little Eden, Domitilla Rota-hyams passed away at age 92. here she is pictured with her husband, Danny hyams at the care facility for the intellectually disabled in Edenvale, Johannesburg. Rota Village,” said Ms Esterhuysen. Many who knew Mrs RotaHyams spoke about her faith and the impact it had on her work which was inspired by prayer and visions. It was for this reason that through the humble beginning of her centre, a second care centre,

Elvira Rota Village, was opened in Babsfontein. Mrs Rota Hyams was the recipient of numerous awards from Rotary International, the Italian Embassy and government, as well as the Bene Merenti Medal—one of the highest papal awards bestowed

on a layperson—presented by Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg in 2008. Her awards honour the care given, the facilities provided and her anti-apartheid activism in which she ignored the law that prohibited the care of different race groups in a single home. Personal diaries from Mrs RotaHyams were published in 2007 where spoke of her “deepest wish” to have the community at large recognise the value of people with intellectual disabilities. One of her diary entries reads: “These children, with a far-away look, have souls more beautiful than the sun. They are angels. They are like lightning conductors on which we should gaze with veneration. God could have created them normal, but they are as they are. There must be a reason for it which we cannot fathom. So we accept their creation as God’s design and accept them as a sign of His predilection.” Ms Esterhuysen said Mrs RotaHyams would be dearly missed but her legacy will live on “in the hearts of her family and friends, but also very importantly, in Little Eden where she was a mother to literally hundreds of children with disabilities”. Mrs Rota Hyams is survived by her six children, 24 grandchildren and husband.

Human origins debate continues on blog sTaFF REPoRTER

N his latest blog, www.jesuitinstitute. org.za, Director of the Jesuit Institute, Raymond Perrier has started looking at the origins of humankind and believes that it is possible to believe in both evolution and creation. Mr Perrier said there were two places where one might try to find answers to this age-old question: the Bible in the first chapters of the book of Genesis where one can learn about Adam and Eve. “On the other hand we might look for an answer at the Origins Centre at Wits University or travel to the Cradle of Humankind at Maropeng, about 50 km north of Johannesburg,” he suggested. The Cradle of Humankind teaches visitors about the idea of evolution—that all creatures (humans included) have developed from the earliest and simplest forms of life—changing over generations in order to be better adapted to their environments. “Thus, for example, one strand of creatures has adapted to live on land by developing lungs; another to live in the sea by

developing gills. One strand has stayed in the trees in order to avoid attack and so moves with all four limbs, another has learnt to defend itself on the ground and so moves just on two legs,” Mr Perrier explains. “Some people think these are two competing options: they say ‘I believe in Creation and so reject Evolution’ or ‘I believe in Evolution and so reject Creation’. In particular some Christians see Creation and Evolution as alternatives that we have to choose between,” he wrote in his blog. However, Mr Perrier points out that needing to choose between the two is not the Catholic tradition. “In fact, the book that first introduced the idea of evolution by natural selection, written by Charles Darwin in 1859, was never condemned by the Church [in an age when many other books were]. “Moreover, the history of evolutionary science includes priests who were expert scientists: the concept of the ‘Big Bang’ was proposed by a Belgian priest Fr Georges Lemaitre, one of the most famous palaeon-

tologists [or fossil hunters] was a French Jesuit called Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. And Darwin himself did not see his work as contradicting the value of Genesis of or undermining belief in God,” he said. Mr Perrier said the best way to look at our origins is to ask two distinctly different questions: “Darwin is answering the question: ‘How did we get here?’ The writer of Genesis is answering the question: ‘Why are we here?’. If we do not regard Genesis as a literal story about the first days of the planet do we weaken its value? I think the opposite is true,” Mr Perrier said. He said that if creation is something that was done to us (humans) 6 000 years ago, one can just treat it as history like the Second World War or the Pyramids. “If instead we recognise that God’s act of creation is something which took place 6 000 years ago and six billion years ago and indeed today—that requires a much deeper response from us: a response to God's three-fold invitation—to be in relationship with the planet, with each other and with God”.

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The southern Cross, January 26 to February 1, 2011

INTERNATIONAL

Head of financial watchdog agency appointed By CaRoL GLaTz

OPE Benedict named the president of the Vatican’s investment agency to head a new watchdog agency charged with monitoring all Vatican financial operations. Italian Cardinal Attilio Nicora, 73, is president of the new Financial Information Authority, which the pope instituted onDecember 30 to oversee the monetary and commercial activities of all Vatican-related institutions, including the Vatican bank. The pope also named the members of the four-person executive board, which together with Cardinal Nicora, will monitor such Vatican agencies as the Vatican City State, the Vatican bank,

the Vatican’s investment agency and the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, and smaller agencies such as the Vatican pharmacy, supermarket and the Vatican Museums. The Vatican released the names in a written statement on January 19. Cardinal Nicora and the executive board will name a director and additional staff by April 1, according to Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman. The new executive council members are: • Claudio Bianchi, a professor of accounting at Rome’s La Sapienza University. He has served as a member of an audit-

ing board for various agencies connected with the Vatican. • Marcello Condemi, a lawyer and professor of commercial and banking law at Rome’s Marconi University. He has worked for the international Financial Action Task Force, which designs policies to combat money-laundering and terrorist financing. • Giuseppe Dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto, chancellor of a university in Rome and a professor who teaches churchstate relations at various pontifical universities in the city. • Cesare Testa, who had served as president of the Italian bishops’ office for the financial support of clergy and worked on the revision of the Italian-Vatican

treaty, specifically in matters dealing with how clergy are paid. Pope Benedict established the oversight agency after Italian treasury police, in a money-laundering probe, seized 23 million euros (US$30 million) that the Vatican bank had deposited in a Rome bank account. The Vatican criticised the confiscation, saying the deposit was legitimate and that the Vatican bank was committed to “full transparency” in its operations. The Vatican has been working for some time with Italian and international authorities to comply with procedures to ensure funds are not used for terrorism or money laundering.—CNS

italian Cardinal attilio nicora, 73, is president of the new Financial information authority (photo: Wikipedia)

New ordinariate for Anglicans By siMon CaLDWELL

a man works on an anti-gun mural in Chicago in 2009. For decades the vatican has been pushing for stricter limitations on the sale, trade and use of small firearms and weapons. (Cns photo/Karen Callaway, Catholic new World)

LMOST immediately after he was ordained a Catholic priest along with two other former Anglican bishops, Fr Keith Newton was named head of the new ordinariate for former Anglicans in England and Wales. The Vatican announced that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith had erected the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham “for those groups of Anglican clergy and faithful who have expressed their desire to enter into full visible communion with the Catholic Church”. Fr Newton, a 58-year-old married man and former Anglican bishop of Richborough, was ordained to the Catholic priesthood earlier by Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster. Also ordained Catholic priests during the Mass in Westminster Cathedral were former Anglican Bishop John Broadhurst of Fulham and former Anglican Bishop Andrew Burnham of Ebbsfleet. The world’s first personal ordinariate for former Anglicans is dedicated to Mary, Our Lady of Walsingham, who is venerated by both Catholics and Anglicans in England. The medieval Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in East Anglia was destroyed during the Protestant Reformation, but restored a century ago by Anglicans and Catholics. Pope Benedict announced in November 2009 his decision to erect personal ordinariates for former Anglicans who wanted to enter into full communion with Rome while preserving liturgical and other elements of their

Fr Keith newton, former anglican bishop of Richborough, has been named to head the first personal ordinariate for former anglicans in England and Wales. (Cns photo/Marcin Mazur, Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales)

Anglican heritage, including a certain amount of governing by consensus. The ordinariate is a structure designed “to balance, on the one hand, the concern to preserve the

worthy Anglican liturgical, spiritual and pastoral traditions and, on the other hand, the concern that these groups and their clergy will be fully integrated into the Catholic Church,” said a Vatican statement. The statement noted that while under certain conditions married men may be ordained priests in the Latin rite of the Catholic Church, married men may not be ordained bishops. However, the head of the ordinariate does not necessarily have to be a bishop, although some of his authority is similar to a bishop’s. The Vatican said Frs Newton, Broadhurst and Burnham “will oversee the catechetical preparation of the first groups of Anglicans in England and Wales who will be received into the Catholic Church together with their pastors at Easter” and will “accompany the clergy preparing for ordination to the Catholic priesthood around Pentecost”. Church leaders in England have said they expect about 50 former Anglican clergy and hundreds of laypeople to enter the Catholic Church in the spring. Fr Newton issued a statement saying he was “humbled” to be appointed as the first head of the ordinariate in England and Wales. “This is not an honor I have sought or expected, but I pray that God will give me the wisdom and grace to live up to the trust the Holy Father has placed in me,” he said. “My wife and family have been a great support to me throughout my ministry and I know they will continue to do so,” he said.—CNS

Pope: Ecumenism has already borne fruit By CinDy WooDEn

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HE search for Christian unity has not been easy, but it has already drawn Christians closer to one another and made Christianity more attractive to those who do not believe, Pope Benedict said. A sense of brotherhood among Christians “is the most tangible sign of unity, especially for those outside” the Christian community, the pope said during his weekly general audience. As he does each year at his audience during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Pope Benedict dedicated his talk to explaining the theme chosen by the Vatican and the World Council of Churches for the week. The theme for 2011 was: “One in the Apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer.” Pope Benedict said the theme, drawn from the Acts of

the Apostles, contains the four characteristics that made the early church community in Jerusalem “a place of unity and love”. The first, essential characteristic, he said, is that Christians remain faithful to the Gospel and the teaching of the Apostles, which is the foundation of Christian faith. Second, he said, there is fellowship and fraternity, the experience of each person sharing and caring for one another. “The history of the ecumenical movement is marked by difficulties and uncertainties, but it also is a story of brotherhood and cooperation, of spiritual and human sharing, which has significantly changed relations between believers in the Lord Jesus. All of us are committed to continuing on this path.” The pope told the estimated 2 500 people at his audience, “Communion with God creates communion among us and must necessarily be expressed

in concrete communion” and sharing with one another. “No one in the community should be hungry, should be poor. This is a basic obligation,” he said. The third element is participating together in “the breaking of the bread”, in which Christ makes himself present, the pope said. Sharing the Eucharist is the sign of fully sharing faith, which is why the Catholic Church insists that divided Christians cannot normally share Communion, he said. Especially during the week of prayer, he said, Christians should feel “regret for the impossibility” of sharing the Eucharist. The fourth characteristic of a united community is a constant tendency towards prayer, he said. In prayer, people recognise themselves as children of God and, therefore, brothers and sisters to one another, the pope said.—CNS

INTERNATIONAL

The southern Cross, January 26 to February 1, 2011

Vatican: No instruction to cover up By CinDy WooDEn

VATICAN official downplayed a 1997 Vatican letter to Irish bishops about handling cases of clerical sex abuse, saying the letter did not tell bishops to keep the cases secret from the police. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said the letter aimed at ensuring the bishops fully followed church law for dealing with accusations in order to avoid a situation in which an abusive priest could return to ministry on the technicality of his bishop mishandling the process. The letter, brought to public

attention on January 17 by Ireland’s RTE television and published by the Associated Press, was written by Archbishop Luciano Storero, then-nuncio to Ireland. The letter summarised the concerns of the Congregation for Clergy regarding proposed Irish norms for dealing with the sex abuse crisis. Archbishop Storero said that according to the congregation, “the situation of ‘mandatory reporting’ gives rise to serious reservations of both a moral and a canonical nature”. Fr Lombardi said: “One must note that the letter in no way says that the country’s laws must not

be followed.” He told Catholic News Service that the Vatican “does not have a universal, specific position on mandatory reporting because the laws and situations are so different from country to country”. However, he said, the Vatican has made it clear to bishops that in their policies for dealing with abuse accusations and in concrete situations “they must respect the laws of their country”, including when those laws require the church to report accusations to police or the courts. Some news reports and some groups of sex abuse victims have pointed to the 1997 letter as evi-

JP2 patron of World Youth Day

HE future Blessed Pope John Paul II will be the official spiritual patron of World Youth Day 2011, which will be August 16-21 in Madrid. The Vatican announced that Pope Benedict would beatify his predecessor, the pope who founded World Youth Day and presided over many of its largest gatherings around the world. The same day the Vatican announcement was made, about 200 representatives of bishops’ conferences and youth groups were meeting in Madrid to prepare for the August gathering.

Pope John Paul ii greets youth at WyD in Denver 1993. (Photo:Joe Rimkus Jr)

Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, told the representatives in Madrid the news of Pope John Paul’s upcoming beatification. Auxiliary Bishop Cesar Franco Martinez of Madrid, general coordinator of World Youth Day 2011, then announced that the future Blessed Pope John Paul would be one of the official patrons of the gathering. The other patrons are Ss Isidore, Maria de la Cabeza, Teresa of Avila, Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, John of the Cross, John of Avila, Rose of Lima and Rafael Arnaiz.—CNS

dence that the Vatican directly orchestrated the response of bishops’ conferences to the sex abuse crisis and that even in the late 1990s, not everyone at the Vatican was convinced that abusers should be turned over to the police. Fr Lombardi objected to the letter being presented as some kind of “proof” that the Vatican wanted to cover up cases of abuse. Instead, he said, the letter demonstrates the seriousness with which the Vatican was taking the need to formulate and adopt comprehensive norms that could respond to the crisis, which already was affecting several English-speaking countries.

“The letter rightly insists on the fact that it is important that canon law be respected always, precisely to avoid giving the guilty wellfounded reasons for an appeal, therefore obtaining a result contrary to that desired,” Fr Lombardi said. The Jesuit also said people have to realize that the letter was written before 2001 when Pope John Paul II issued new norms for dealing with abuse allegations and made the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith—headed by the future Pope Benedict—responsible for overseeing handling of the cases.—CNS

Protestant to head Pontifical Academy of Sciences

OPE Benedict has named the Nobel laureate Werner Arber, a microbiologist, to serve as president of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. The 81-year-old Swiss scientist, who was named to the academy in 1981, is the first Protestant to serve as president of the body, said the Swiss bishops in a January 13 statement congratulating Arber. The scientist is a member of the Swiss Reformed Church. The Pontifical Academy of Sciences, founded in 1603, brings together top scientists from a variety of disciplines to study and discuss the latest developments in scientific research and to advise the Vatican on matters involving science. Many of the 80 members are not Catholic. Arber succeeds Nicola Cabibbo,

Werner arber, swiss microbiologist and geneticist. (Photo: Wikipedia) the Italian particle physicist who died in August.—CNS

New evidence of communism’s war with Church HoT PoT PaInT anD HaRDWaRE

HAT Pope John Paul II was a pivotal figure in the fall of European communism is accepted as a truism, but many details of that drama have remained hidden in archives. A US biographer of the late pope has now provided particulars of what he describes as the fullscale war by communism against the Catholic Church, and Pope John Paul’s astute and successful counter-strategy. The Polish pope displayed political savvy and “a shrewdness that combined steadiness of strategic vision with tactical flexibility”, George Weigel told an audience of seminarians, diplomats and Vatican officials at the Pontifical North American College. One of Pope John Paul’s moves, Mr Weigel said, was to appoint as his own secretary of state Cardinal Agostino Casaroli, the architect of the Vatican’s “Ostpolitik” efforts to reach workable compromises with communist regimes. By doing so, the late pope “created tactical advantages for the Church: As the pope preached moral revolution over the heads of communist regimes, speaking directly to their people, Casaroli continued his diplomacy, thus denying the communists the opportunity to charge that the Church

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BRanCHES: had reneged on its commitment to dialogue,” Mr Weigel said. Mr Weigel said he based his conclusions on previously secret cables and memos that have emerged from behind the former Iron Curtain. He came across the information while researching his latest book on the life of Pope John Paul, The End and the Beginning, which looks at the pope’s final years and evaluates his legacy.—CNS

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Surprise for Tunisia as government falls By JuDiTh suDiLovsKy

ESPITE hopes that calm would return to Tunisia following a violent weekend after the fall of the Tunisian government of Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, demonstrations and violence continued. “There was resistance for years, but nobody expected this thing to happen so quickly and so violently,” Archbishop Maroun Lahham of Tunis, Tunisia, told Catholic News Service in a phone interview

three days after the government was toppled. “But it seems that people were really oppressed and tense and things just exploded. The whole world saw Tunisia as calm, but it happened.” Life had been returning to normal in Tunis and other cities before Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi announced his unity cabinet, which included some members of Ben Ali’s ruling party, the archbishop said. He said only

30 of the 300 parishioners attended Mass on January 16 because of the looting and mayhem in the city a day earlier. The ejection of Ben Ali’s government and his expulsion from the country was the culmination of four weeks of protests that left nearly 80 people dead. The archbishop said protests began because of the high unemployment rate but quickly changed in nature.— CNS

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The southern Cross, January 26 to February 1, 2011

LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Good music needs training

Michael Shackleton

Blessed John Paul II

HEN a pope who is remembered vividly by millions of people is to be beatified, it is surely a newsworthy and uplifting moment. Pope John Paul II was elected to the papacy in 1978, a dark horse among the cardinals eligible for that high office and 65 years of age. By the time of his death in 2005, he had become one of the world’s most influential leaders and a celebrity among peoples of all faiths and none. Some were already bestowing on him informally the title of Pope John Paul the Great. Notwithstanding earnest calls for instant canonisation, the Church moved with caution. The standing rule is that no one can be presented as a candidate for sainthood until a period of at least five years after their death has elapsed. Yet the new pope, Benedict XVI, found himself confronted by a barrage of requests for Pope John Paul’s cause for canonisation not to be sidelined or abandoned but, rather, accelerated. He relented and waived the five-year stipulation and the process gathered momentum from that moment to this. In rejoicing with the entire Church on the beatification of the pope, who will soon be known as the Blessed Pope John Paul II, we consider the highlights of what led him to be so universally attractive. One of his most admired attributes, which made people warm to him as a person, was his immense patience and tolerance of the Parkinsons disease that progressively afflicted him, robbing him of mobility and clarity of speech, yet not of his continuous ability to listen and to follow the happenings of the moment. As the faithful empathised with his pitiful physical state, they knew that his sharp mind was still that of the pope who had influenced so much of the history of the twentieth century.

Futhermore, they witnessed in him the epitome of the Christian conviction that all suffering is salutary when purposefully united with Christs. On the wider front, Pope John Paul was a world figure who could not be ignored. In his earlier days he came across as an energetic man of action, one who looked good in his white cassock and skullcap, and who knew what he wanted to do. He influenced the demise of communism in Poland and the rest of Europe and did not hesitate to discuss world affairs with heads of state, confident that the Church had every right to present its case in the pursuit of international and national peace and justice. He endeavoured to ensure that the Church’s relations with fellow Christians and members of other faiths would be ever cordial. He held farreaching talks with Jews, Muslims, Orthodox Christians, Anglicans, Buddhists and many more. He travelled to more than 120 countries, including Southern Africa. Aware that young people are the future of the Church, he inaugurated World Youth Day in 1984, a week-long celebration in which hundreds of thousands gather to worship with the pope and have fun as serious Christians on the move. His foresight here was remarkable and World Youth Day has not faded from popularity but will be held again this year in Madrid, Spain. Many of our own Southern African youth will attend. Pope John Paul’s detractors have highlighted his perceived faults, commenting that he was autocratic, far too conservative and intent on canonising his own favourites and promoting his own devotions in the Church. Whatever has been said or will be said of this amazing man, the truth cannot be suppressed that he possessed extraordinary virtues that will be an inspiration to many.

dŽ ŽƌĚĞƌ ǇŽƵ ĐŽƉǇ ƉůĞĂƐĞ ĐŽŶƚĂĐƚ ƚŚĞ Z E t /ŶƚĞƌŶĂƚŝŽŶĂů EĂƚŝŽŶĂů KĨĨŝĐĞ ďǇ ĞŵĂŝů Ăƚ ƉĚŽΛŝƐĂƚ͘ĐŽ͘ǌĂ͕ Žƌ ďǇ ƉŚŽŶĞ ŽŶ Ϭϰϭ ϯϲϱ Ϯϭϭϳ ŽŽŬƐ ĐŽƐƚ Zϭϱ͕ϬϬ ĞĂĐŚ ƉůƵƐ ƉŽƐƚĂŐĞ͘

Patience please

HANKS to the two Chris’s for their input on liturgical music, a lot of which, I suspect, was written with tongue in cheek! In the 65 years I have been involved in liturgical music I have had to adapt to the many changes which have taken place in our liturgical worship. I wish everyone had had the opportunity to study all the Vatican documents on liturgical music from the 4th to the 20th century, as I had. What an eye-opener that was! The Liturgy has to do with the worship of God by the people of God, therefore it is the people who decide what is most musically meaningful to their worship; and through the centuries, what doesn’t suit has been discarded. Vatican II recommended and encouraged the active participation of the congregation in preference to the passive listening of previous centuries, so organists/choirmasters /simple lovers of God and of music (as I am) need to be sensitive to the theme of the day’s liturgy, as well as the needs of the different age and cultural groups in their congregations. Barbara Gregory has stated this so clearly in her letter. The beautiful musical tradition of the Church can be carried on by trained choirs with dedicated musical members in concerts and in paraliturgies as the Pretoria Diocesan Choir has done. The “plebs” worship God in their simple, heartrending way. We live in Africa! How do Africans worship God? Through repetitive chant, movement and drums. Catholic westerners shy away from using their bodies in worship. Generally speaking, it is impossible to provide opportunities for the majority of worshippers to

tioned by Fr Townsend stem from a lack of understanding of the Mass and a lack of teaching. Since I no longer play in my parish there have been a lot of opportunities to visit other parishes and I have seen it all. How many groups know that the Gloria, responsorial psalm, Gospel acclamation, the Holy, Holy, memorial acclamation and the Great Amen are the essentials to be sung? If the responsorial psalm is not sung, there are different ways it can be read. Another problem is hymns sung at the wrong place in the Mass, as well as no time for silence. If music groups do not know what they are doing, it’s because they have not been taught. As for “dodgy music imported from other churches”, where is our Catholic music, such as Carey Landry, John Foley SJ, Dan Schutte offer their praise, adoration and thanks to God through the medium of music most meaningful to them. So until our African composers give us something to work with, please be patient with those of us who do our best but cannot satisfy everyone. Felicity Mullan, Pretoria

Come to our Mass, Father!

TRUST that Fr Chris Townsend read the January 12 issue, because I hope that he read Pope Benedict’s article on music which was very enlightening and true. Nevermind likes and dislikes, when you walk into a church and a hymn is being sung. What joy it brings to the heart. It would be nice if Fr Townsend would come and say a morning Mass in Bryanston and listen to the congregation and choir in full harmony singing their hearts out to the Lord. I’m sure it would change his mind and that of Chris Moerdyk on leaving the church after the recessional hymn has been sung, to take note of the congregation’s happiness and joy at being able to open their hearts to the Lord in song. Vic Andreka, Joburg

Liturgical music in our parishes

WAS distressed to read Fr Chris Townsend’s very generalised complaint about “some rubbish that passes for liturgical music in our Catholic communities today” (15-21 December). As I cannot undertake a survey of parishes in South Africa, I don’t know how valid is his claim that most parishes use “a maximum of about 16

VIVA SAFARIS

>ĞŶƚĞŶ >ŽŶŐŝŶŐƐ ŝƐ ĨŽƌ ^ŵĂůů ŚƌŝƐƚŝĂŶ ŽŵŵƵŶŝƚŝĞƐ ^ĞĂƐŽŶĂů 'ƌŽƵƉƐ /ŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂů ZĞĨůĞĐƚŝŽŶ

ǆƉůŽƌĞ ŵŽƌĞ ĚĞĞƉůǇ ƚŚĞ >ĞŶƚĞŶ ^ƵŶĚĂǇ ZĞĂĚŝŶŐƐ ŝŶ ƐŝŵƉůĞ ĞǀĞƌǇĚĂǇ ůĂŶŐƵĂŐĞ͘

REFER to Fr Chris Townsend’s letter on “Why I hate Catholic Music”. While I have to agree that there is rubbish that passes for Catholic music, sadly much of it comes from hymn books supplied to music groups by their parishes. Yes, good music is difficult and the music groups need help and practice. In the years that I did music, besides help from one or two priests, I have been pretty much left to get on with it and to learn from my mistakes. I have seen altar servers have training sessions, extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist and readers given training, but never our guitar group. Only in the last two years, since I stopped leading the group, have they had a session on liturgy. Most of the problems men-

KRUGER PARK

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/ƚ ŝŶĐůƵĚĞƐ ^ŝǆ ĨĂŝƚŚͲƐŚĂƌŝŶŐ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶƐ ǁŝƚŚ͗ ^ĐƌŝƉƚƵƌĞ ƌĞĨĞƌĞŶĐĞƐ ZĞĨůĞĐƚŝŽŶƐ ^ŚĂƌŝŶŐ YƵĞƐƚŝŽŶƐ WƌĂǇĞƌƐ

The Editor reserves the right to shorten or edit published letters. Letters below 300 words receive preference. Pseudonyms are acceptable only under special circumstances and at the Editor’s discretion. Name and address of the writer must be supplied. No anonymous letter will be considered.

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SJ, Rex O’Conner SJ, Bob Dufford SJ (to name but a few)? The youth prefer the “imported” church music because that is what they are exposed to. Try to buy a good Catholic CD in a music store—not available. Try to buy a good Catholic CD in a Catholic shop—not affordable! Why can we not set up training at places like Santa Sophia for music groups to learn the Liturgy and to learn to play and sing with true worship? It’s always easy to sit back and criticise but what many do not realise is that there is a lot of work involved in producing good and varied liturgical music every week. This is often done by people who work long hours at their normal day jobs or in their homes. Let’s make it easier for them by providing the means to learn and gain the respect their time and effort deserve. Joan Kerswill SFO, Pretoria hymns”. In relation to the parishes I know in KZN this is certainly not the case. My concern was aggravated by Chris Moerdyk’s readiness to condemn The Celebration Hymnal for Everyone as “filled to the brim with wonderful prayers set to largely boring and childish music” (5-11 January 2011). I would ask Mr Moerdyk to try to adopt a fairer approach to what in my view is a remarkably balanced and comprehensive selection of over 800 hymns. He needs to be aware that the hymnal includes the following: (1) all the well known Christmas carols, Easter, Ascension and Pentecost hymns, together with some less well known but equally stirring ones; (2) all the older traditional Catholic hymns (3) many of the great Victorian hymns (some of Protestant origin) and very inspiring new hymns. Further reflection on the lists provided of hymns suitable for particular Sundays, might lead Mr Moerdyk to realise that the hymn selectors were not impertinently trying to tell us precisely what hymns we should sing on what Sundays. Rather their aim is surely to encourage organists and choirs to familiarise themselves with the many possible options available in the hymnal. When Mr Moerdyk and Fr Townsend have given this kind of closer and more impartial attention to the hymnal, I hope they may be prepared to retract their astonishingly dismissive claims. Jack Kearney, Kwa-Zulu Natal opinions expressed in The Southern Cross, especially in Letters to the Editor, do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or staff of the newspaper, or of the Catholic hierarchy. The letters page in particular is a forum in which readers may exchange opinions on matters of debate. Letters must not be understood to necessarily reflect the teachings, disciplines or policies of the Church accurately.

PERSPECTIVES

Did Jesus drink alcohol?

HE arbitrariness of air travel itineraries sometimes produces the happy circumstance of allowing travellers to visit places they otherwise would not see. Our group of 45 Southern Cross pilgrims left Tel Aviv to fly to Munich via Cairo, necessitating one night in transit, spent in an entirely agreeable hotel in which I observed that the Egyptian engagement party tends to be at least as elaborate as the typical Western wedding. We were lucky to see the pyramids just before closing time. Even on my fourth visit to Cairo, I was profoundly impressed by the pyramids. The words of Fr Nicholas King SJ from our pilgrimage in 2000 always come to mind: “The pyramids were ancient when Moses was still a boy.” It is a staggering thought that the great pyramid of Cheops was at 146,5m the world’s tallest structure for 3800 years (it was eclipsed in 1300 by Lincoln cathedral in England, which lost the record in 1549 when its superlative central spire collapsed). The pyramid of Cheops was the oldest of the ancient seven wonders of the world, and it has easily outlived them all. No matter how devout a group of pilgrims may be, seeing the pyramids for the first time is a highlight. It is unlikely that many would trade a visit to the Giza plateau with the three pyramids and the Spinx for a tour of Old Cairo, the district that once was so profoundly Christian that it accommodated 20 churches within a territory of just 3km². So they miss out on the fascinating 7th century hanging church. Dedicated to Our Lady, it derives its name from its nave which is suspended over a passage in the old Babylon fortress, which was built in the 6th century BC. It is a truly impressive sight. One less appealing feature of a visit to Cairo is the inevitability that the local tour guide will take the group in his charge to a tourist shop specialising in some type of trade or another. These never seem to be the kind of souvenir shops that offer a large range of items, catering from the tasteful to kitsch (and who doesn’t need a pyramid paperweight). In September, our group visited a perfume factory instead. For some of our group this was heaven (less so, perhaps, for their husbands whose eyes seemed to reflect dollar signs in the way of profligate cartoon characters). This particular pilgrim was bored by the exercise, but found amusement outside in observing the hyperactive bustle of a Cairo street, an ordered chaos consisting of dusty cars, camels, donkeys, mopeds and daredevil jaywalkers. There are those who might argue that shopping should have no part in a pilgrimage. I don’t buy into that idea, as it were. A souvenir—whether it is an ornate crucifix,

a finger rosary or a t-shirt—is a concrete manifestation of a journey made. They call to mind that special journey to God, even if that t-shirt features a tacky phrase. The mug a pilgrim bought in Jericho is a reminder of the graces of a pilgrimage, and the t-shirt with a tacky slogan which was bought for the kids is symbolic of the graces the pilgrim seeks to impart to them. For the group leader, however, the shopping impulse can be a nuisance in shepherding his flock. Our pilgrimage began in Nazareth. The basilica there is located on a very narrow lane. Reaching it requires pilgrims to walk past shops and traders selling the same merchandise one finds throughout the Holy Land. But the newly-landed pilgrim does not know that and so is tempted to buy souvenirs right there and then. So the budget set aside for rosaries is instantly depleted on cheap imports from China rather than the locally-made olive wood rosaries one can buy in Bethlehem or Jerusalem. The local tour guide will take his group to a souvenir shop with quality products and fair prices, preferably run by Christians. Of course, the guide will receive a kick-back for bringing his group to the shop, but it is an arrangement that suits everybody. The pilgrims have a choice of merchandise they can trust, because it is in the guide’s interest that he should receive no complaints, which in turn discourages the shop from selling inferior products. There are also those who believe that leisurely diversions violate the spirit of a pilgrimage, especially if these might involve libations. That is taking too narrow

Chris Chatteris SJ Pray with the Pope

The Pilgrim’s Trek a view of pieties. Provided that the social consumption of alcoholic beverages is marked by due moderation (as it always should be), then surely it pleases God. Jesus enjoyed a good party. He did not leave the wedding party in Cana before the wine ran out, and his objection to Mary’s request to produce more wine resided in issues of timing, not the substance of her application. Jesus and his travelling band of disciples must have kicked off their sandals from time to time and let their hair down. In fact, it is inconceivable that they didn’t, because they were human. Luke 7:34 suggests that Jesus drank wine, unlike his teetotal cousin John. We must presume that he did so in moderation. Indeed, pilgrims sharing a drink, alcoholic or not, at the end of a long, wearying day strengthens the sense of community that is so important in a pilgrimage. Recently I came across an advertisement by an English tour operator. It describes pilgrimages as “anti-holiday”, pointing out that these journeys are strenuous and expensive. The ad warns: “What can be gained from pilgrimage cannot be guaranteed by the tour company.” But just as the reader becomes discouraged, the advert delivers the true promise that what can be gained “is simply something money can’t buy”. n This is the 13th part of Günther Simmermacher’s series on The Southern Cross’ Passion Pilgrimage in September.

The cost of marriage General Intention: That all may respect the family and recognise it for its unmatched contribution to the advancement of society. T is interesting to note how, in so-called secular societies in Europe, governments are starting to talk about the importance of family life and even to enact measures to encourage and support it. There’s a fear in these countries that the very cohesion of society is under threat because of the lack of cohesion in family life. Reasons why this should be so abound: the loss of religious belief, the postmodern idea that everything is provisional, the belief that a lifetime commitment is simply impossible. There are also the powerful economic forces which tend to dissuade young people from committing themselves in marriage. Finally, there is also the nature of modern family life itself. A lifetime commitment to a partnership of equals and equal sharing of responsibility, often without the support of the extended family, is a major undertaking. I would rate modern family life to be considerably harder than religious life. Nevertheless, despite its Herculean challenges, marriage and family seem somehow to survive as an ideal. The recent interest in the upcoming British royal marriage between Miss Middleton and Prince William has an obvious celebrity interest. However, one can’t help feeling that the interest is also to do with an abiding belief in the institution of the family. Even “secular” societies haven’t yet given up on family life, it seems. Despite its traditional and conservative side, South African society is finding marriage and family life as tough as anywhere. Not many marriages are solemnised in our parishes these days. The couple can’t get a bond or the man can’t pay lobola and the marriage ceremony itself is expected to be a show worth a fortune. Philippe Denis OP once asked the pertinent question whether only the middle class could now afford to get married. With all these negative pressures it’s surprising family life manages to survive at all. But it does, though in a variety of often non-traditional forms. However, clergy, traditional leaders, politicians and economists need to put their heads together to find ways of making married family life affordable and sustainable today. We should pray that these leaders and we ourselves seriously address these problems so that young people and old alike may enjoy the security of marriage and the happiness of family life.

A healing Church an Egyptian policeman patrols in front of the pyramid of Cheops in Cairo. (Photo: Günther simmermacher)

Give us a smile! OW was your Holy Family Sunday? Too close for comfort? Too close to Christmas? I noticed far fewer people in church on that Sunday, the day after Christmas. Also known as the Day of Goodwill and for some still thought of as Boxing Day, apparently it’s a day to exchange the gifts one doesn’t like, want or need. Was it a holy family Sunday for yours? Holy doesn’t only mean being churchy but being wholesome, complete, happy, living in the presence of God through the love shared amongst us in our home and extended family. I find it very sad that celebrating Holy Family Sunday is most often neglected by families themselves and the message—if it is preached about with full impact—is lost to so many. I believe it is the one Sunday in the year when the homily can focus more specifically on families themselves, without taking on board all the other social needs such as the poor, orphans, abused women, and so on. These important needs and causes always seem to override the fact that each and every family has its own hope and joys, anxieties and sorrows. The Second Vatican Council recaptured the insight of the family as the domestic church. Pope John Paul II, who was very much a pope for the family, called on each family: “Families become what you are, the little church of the home.” The African Synod, using the image of the Church as Family, also gives some

Günther Simmermacher

The southern Cross, January 26 to February 1, 2011

impetus to the need to build up both Church and family. So how was your Holy Family Sunday? Were you exhausted from the Christmas day festivities? Did you just lie about and relax, comfortable in each other’s company, with children and their parents happily playing with their new toys? Was it another lonely day in a long lonely weekend? Did anyone get drunk and disorderly? Were there fights (normal and common of course in any family cooped up together for more than a couple of hours at a time)? Did you all live side by side, each doing their own thing, watching your own TV, texting your own friends? Did you share a meal, maybe just of leftovers? I find that nothing is ever perfect, no day, no holiday, no job, no party. There are always “if only” thoughts. If only I had had more time I would have phoned more of the members of the extended family, e-mailed them, SMSed them? If only I hadn’t eaten and/or drunk so much I would have had the energy to play games with the kids or grandchildren? If only we had taken a little time out to pray together, to reflect on that other Holy Family and thanked God for the gift of our family and asked his blessing to make our family a happy family and a truly holy family too. But there is always another chance. The 2011 family theme chosen by the bishops’ Family Life Desk is “Peace on earth begins at home”, and the January theme uses a saying of Mother Teresa:

Toni Rowland Family Friendly

“Peace begins with a smile.” Even at the end of January, it’s not too late to make a New Year’s resolution. Ideally every member could do what they can to make your family a happy, holy family—and that can very well start with a smile. Remember, “it starts with me”. Smile at yourself in the mirror, even make faces at yourself if that helps to make you smile and not just totally foolish. Smile at others as early as possible in the morning, while queuing up for the bathroom, having breakfast, saying goodbye on the way to school or work. Smile at others during the day, at strangers too. Smile your “goodnight” as a sign of your love for one another, which is God’s love too. The first and sometimes the hardest way to build peace on earth is to start at home, and it really is not some stupid suggestion to commit to genuinely smile at those in your own home—and not a smirk or a grimace or the politely posed photo-smile. It is genuinely a good way to make your own family a happy holy family. If only we all did that we’d have a happy holy Church, truly a Church as Family. Why not share some of your family’s smiley faces on MARFAM’s Facebook page. I’d love to see them. n Contact me at trowland@sacbc.org.za or visit www.marfam.org.za/blog for more on ministry to the family.

Missionary Intention: That Christian communities may witness to the presence of Christ in serving those who suffer from disease in those mission territories where the fight against disease is most urgent. ne of the main elements in Jesus’ mission is healing. He bursts upon his own time as one who deals with disease in body and mind—the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the possessed liberated. This work is a profound witness to the kingdom of God coming into the lives of the people of his time. Jesus is the “strong man” who tackles head on and defeats the sinful, demonic powers that keep people in the dark bondage of disease and illness. The healing ministry continues to be a sign of the kingdom today, which is why the Church has always insisted upon it. Even though it is no longer normally miraculous, the Church’s modern healing ministry is as necessary as ever: firstly to answer the ongoing need presented by disease both age-old and modern, and secondly to remind people that God’s kingdom is still engaged in the fight with the evils which continue to beset humanity. So wherever the Church is present, particularly as a missionary Church, we find its members sharing Jesus’ ministry to the sick, in hospitals and clinics and in those heroic teams who provide home-based care to the aged and people with HIV/Aids. We pray for this missionary ministry of deeds that powerfully complements the ministry of the word.

The southern Cross, January 26 to February 2, 2011

COMMUNITY several holy Cross sisters in aliwal north celebrated their jubilee of religious profession: sr anne Guntensperger, who turns 100 in February, celebrated 80 years in the profession; while srs Myriam Mcnally, Domitilla schiessl and Peter McCaul celebrated 60 years; and srs angelika haller and Mary Buckmann celebrated 50 years as nuns. (submitted by sr Beatrix neulinger)

Bishop Pius Dlungwane of the diocese of Mariannhill, assisted by Fr Dominic Muheim CMM and Peter anthoo, cuts the celebration cake at the 75th anniversary celebration of st Joseph’s mission and st Joseph’s church in Richmond, Kwa-zulu natal.

IN FOC U S

sr angelina Moonilal osC Cap, of the Capuchin Poor Clare sisters Convent in Melville, Kwa-zulu natal, celebrated her golden jubilee at the monastery chapel in umzumbe. Pictured are: Fr Germain Ktakafi oFM Cap, Fr ignatius heer CMM, Cardinal Wilfrid napier, archbishop of Durban, sr Moonilal, Fr Bernard Thiel CMM, and Fr Eunan Dooley oFM. (submitted by Gregory Moonilal)

edited by Nadine Christians

Send photographs, with sender’s name and address on the back, and a SASE to: The Southern Cross, Community Pics, Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000 or email them to: pics@scross.co.za

Jeanne Karam, a parishioner of st Patrick’s church in Benoni, wed her sweetheart Matthew Currie at the parish.

Fr vales Dania and a group of Catholic Women’s League members and parishioners of st Patrick’s church in East London, enjoyed lunch at member Joan de Bruyn’s home. (submitted by ann Kent) Bishop Frank De Gouveia of the diocese of oudsthoorn, concelebrated holy Mass on the feast of the immaculate Conception at the parish of our Lady of Loreto in Kempton Park with Fr Richard april from st John vianney seminary, parish priest Fr Mari Joseph, and Fr Carlos Gabriel, parish priest of our Lady of Fatima parish in Brentwood Park.

some 25 Confirmation candidates from various parishes around steadville and Ladysmith, with Bishop Thomas Rose of Dundee, Fr ian Laurenson and Fr Tony hardimann. The candidates were confirmed at Regina Pacis parish. (submitted Lynn Wood)

FOCUS

The southern Cross, January 26 to February 1, 2011

‘Home away from home’ for seafarers There are an estimated 1.2 million seafarers who travel the seas worldwide. CLaiRE MaThiEson spoke to Deacon Richard Croucher, Chairman of the Apostleship of the Sea, about the challenges facing seafarers today.

‘I

T’S got to be the worst job in the world,” said Deacon Richard Croucher, Chairman of the Apostleship of the Sea (AoS), of the work that seafarers do. “They are away from home for months at a time, earning very little and working under incredibly difficult conditions,” he said. Founded in Glasgow, Scotland in the early 20th century, the AoS provides pastoral care to seafarers through chaplaincies in ports around world. “The vast majority of seafarers are Filipino, and 80% are Catholic” said Deacon Croucher of the estimated 1.2 million seafarers worldwide. According to Deacon Croucher the first outreach to seafarers was established by the Anglican Church (Mission to Seafarers) with the Catholic Church seeing a need for a formal maritime chaplaincy in 1920. Since then the AoS can be found in almost every major port in the world, where it is often commonly known as “Stella Maris” as many of the centres around the world are “nicknamed Stella Maris in honour of our patron, Our Lady Stella Maris”, explained Deacon Croucher. Deacon Croucher explained that in countries like the Philippines, there is not enough work within the country, so people are forced to look elsewhere. “It’s hard enough working away from home for months at a time, but a seafarer also has to deal with the difficulties of the job—long hours, terrible weather conditions and often poor working conditions.” Deacon Croucher explained one of the biggest problems facing seafarers was the lack of jurisdiction across the oceans. “Some countries have more lenient laws and regulations applying to the ships than others. It’s the seafarers who end up suffering.”

The AoS is considered a “home away from home” and provides basic services such as internet facilities, telephones and celebrations of Mass. “The first thing every seafarer wants to do is call home. Some of the men haven’t been able to contact their families in months,” said Deacon Croucher.

ut there are greater issues that Deacon Croucher has seen during his 45-year involvement with the AoS. He explained that due to globalisation and the “way in which the world runs today”, recruitment agencies organise labourers and contracts which results in there being little or no contact between the ship owners and the men and women who work on their ships. “This means that worker’s rights are not always easy to protect and uphold,” he said. Today, organisations such as AoS and the International Christian Maritime Association help protect seafarers, however as Deacon Croucher explained, issues can only be reported once seafarers are in port. But, “ships try to stay out of ports for as long as possible in order to cut costs”, he said pointing out that seafarers no longer get the much-needed downtime. Short turnaround times mean fewer opportunities to contact family or friends and report any issues. A further issue seen at the AoS is the inability of crew to communicate effectively on personal issues due to the differences in languages and nationalities— meaning camaraderie is often lacking. The support the AoS provides becomes even more important.

n his experience Deacon Croucher has seen a variety of human rights violations. A Cambodian tanker, the Hector, docked in Cape Town in 2010 and during a routine in-port inspection, a safety railing broke. The 30-year-old vessel had failed engines, expired life rafts, no anchor and no insurance. Deacon Croucher said the crew was put in a difficult situation, and the owners were not willing to scrap the vessel. The crew had to continue working on the vessel until their contracts ended, he said. Deacon Croucher said such stories were violations on human rights as the crew are forced to

archbishop Jabulani nxumalo of Bloemfontein at the opening of the south africa’s newest apostleship of the sea in saldanha, outside of Cape Town. decide whether to leave without money or continue working in dangerous conditions. He said it was here that the AoS could help by alerting the correct authorities. Despite a variety of United Nations conventions and recommendations regarding working hours, wages and health and safety, many ships have been hiding under “flags of convenience”. “Some countries have not subscribed to these standards and have very lenient regulations, meaning some ship owners get away with poor treatment of their crew,” Deacon Croucher explained. One such vessel was the Hung Yih 212 fishing vessel where the crew reported being abused. However, foreign nationals aboard a foreign ship are not protected under South African law if a crime is committed at sea. The crime needs to be reported to the country of registration. Some of these countries do not have laws protecting the crew and the

archbishop Jabulani nxumalo of Bloemfontein, archbishop stephen Brislin of Cape Town, Fergus Rogers and Terry Whitfield, at the apostleship of the sea in saldanha.

reports are not followed up. When health and safety and good labour practices are upheld, seafarers are still at risk from pirates and bad weather conditions. “It really is a difficult job,” he said. The AoS now employs an inspector to monitor the working conditions of the ships that dock.

ape Town harbour is home to a facility shared by the AoS and the Anglican Mission to Seafarers, and is a communications, relaxation and counselling facility. Deacon Croucher said the facility is set up for the convenience of seafarers and to help with any requirements. Their spiritual side is also taken care of through counselling and weekly Mass. Deacon Croucher said Saldahna is South Africa’s newest AoS centre. Opened in March of 2010, he said it would be some time before the centre became self sufficient. “We have not broken even yet,

but we are seeing more and more seafarers and by February we hope to not require any assistance in operating,” he said. The AoS was established because seafarers were often neglected and their work largely unseen. Deacon Croucher said the care of seafarers is vital because of the important, yet difficult and unappreciated work they do. He said that while the centres are working hard to becoming self sufficient, much of the support offered at the AoS is basic and “the support of local Catholics in whatever form they can offer would make a huge difference”. He said the AoS is one of the largest outreach areas of the Catholic Church, yet receives little attention. The work of the AoS is meaningful and necessary and has made a difference in many lives around the world. Deacon Croucher said he hoped more people would want to be a part of that.

FOCUS

The southern Cross, January 26 to February 1, 2011

Seminarians’ 1985 march holds lessons today In 1985, seminarians marched in protest against apartheid in Pretoria and Pietermaritzburg. Twenty-five years later some of them met to recall the events and reflect on their importance today, as Fr MoKEsh MoRaR explains.

EBRUARY 2 marks the 21st anniversary of President FW de Klerk’s unbanning of antiapartheid movements. Before 1990, many priests, religious and seminarians were engaged in the struggle against apartheid. In September, a group of priests met in Bloemfontein to mark the 25th anniversary of their protest marches as seminarians to the Union Buildings in Pretoria and another march in Pietermaritzburg. Semirnarians met in Bloemfontein from September 6-9, 2010 to commemorate and reflect on the significance of these events for them, the Church and the broader society today. Fr Victor Phalana of Pretoria recalled that the marches took place during the state of emergency. “[State President] P W Botha thought he was going to quell the desire of the people for freedom. The march gave us a sense of purpose and shaped our ministry for the future.” Seminarians at St John Vianney in Pretoria had formed the Social Awareness group—it would later be called the Catholic Seminarian Movement (CASM)—to ask that the prefect system be replaced by the Student Representative Council. “In our discussions we reflected on the broader social issue of apartheid and decided to have a march to the Union Buildings. We had support from others, like the rector, Fr William Slattery [now the new archbishop of Pretoria] and Archbishop Denis Hurley from Durban,” Fr Phalana recalled. “The initial plan was to march from Church Square in Pretoria to the Union Buildings with banners and flags, singing freedom songs and toyi-toying,” he said. But that would have been risky, so a compromise was reached to start the march at the bottom of the Union Buildings grounds, and without banners and flags. “As we started, one student pulled out a banner and the leaders quickly decided to allow the banner.

“So there we were about 30 seminarians of different backgrounds marching to the president’s office with a memorandum of demands that included the lifting of the state of emergency, the release of political prisoners, and start of negotiations between the leaders of the liberation movements and the apartheid government.” On that day a group of international journalists happened to be at the Union Building. They were there to meet with Mr Botha, “but they became interested in us, seeing us in cassocks and praying on the grass” Fr Phalana remembered. “For them it was a great scoop and for us an opportunity to communicate our concerns to the international community”. An official from the president’s office received the seminarians’ memorandum, and afterwards Archbishop Hurley celebrated the Eucharist at St John Vianney Seminary with the students, “a great acknowledgement for us”, Fr Phalana said.

ather Brian Williams recalled what happened at St Joseph’s Scholasticate in Cedara, near Pietermaritzburg. “We marched to demand the release of two lecturers who were detained by the apartheid regime, namely Frs Theo Kneifel OMI and Larry Kaufmann CSsR.” Dressed in their habits and cassocks, the seminarians marched to the police station in Alexandria Road. “When we got there we were given a warning to disperse, but we remained and so some students were then arrested and held in detention for something like two weeks.” When the major superiors of the religious congregations to which these students belong learnt of the arrests, they immediately informed their headquarters in Rome, London and the United States. “Thousands of petitions were then sent to the South African government,” Fr Williams recalled. “Journalists became more interested and started flying to South Africa to interview prominent leaders such as Archbishop Hurley and others. We became aware how strong the international solidarity movement was.” Fr Kaufmann was eventually released, and Fr Kneifel was deported back to Germany, where he remained involved in anti-apartheid work in Europe. The priests’ involvement “was a great inspiration and example to us who were still preparing for min-

servants of the holy Childhood of Jesus ...There was once a woman with a great love and longing in her heart, a strong faith and a sure hope. antonia Werr. ...The straying she would lead along the right way to the one who is The Way. her Charism. ...‘if you learn to walk in the presence of God at all times and fulfil his will, then God will give you the light of his grace.’ her invitation. if this is your way of serving God, then write, phone or visit us.

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an was killed by the police,” Fr Pearson said. “We could hear the cry of people in their pain and suffering and that is when we must also remember the Book of Lamentations. “It offers strong criticism of the oppression of what is wrong in society, but also brings a powerful message of hope. Unlike whining, lamentations call for accountability and inspire people to move beyond; to action. “Lamentations are critical in our pastoral ministry, we need to ask: ‘Whose voices are not heard today—women? Their voices silenced in the Church and society. A real challenge for us as priests!”

This article appeared in The Southern Cross in september 22, 1985. istry”, Fr Williams said. One Oblate priest at the Bloemfontein meeting remembered how he was interrogated for long hours, while others remembered the meetings and funerals in the townships, and meeting leaders like the Delmas Four. Another priest remembered as a youngster being part of the Congress of South African Students. He was charged under the Internal Security Act of 1985 and spent time in solidarity confinement. “We were frustrated as the youth, but then we saw our Church leaders in the struggle. There were talks of an African Mass and that gave us courage. The ideals of freedom made us not to be afraid and we said: ‘It is Freedom or Death!’,” the priest said. Fr Peter-John Pearson, now director of the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office and vicar-general of the archdiocese of Cape Town remembered an incident when the security police were looking for him. “The people rolled me in a drum to the house of a gogo where it was safe to stay for a while.”

n his theological reflection, Fr Pearson said: “All of these things—the marches and protests— helped us, taking us to the next

level of consciousness and identity. Your studies were geared towards your future ministry. Liberation and contextual theology had meaning for us then. “Today...this is how we do theology. We remember and develop particular lenses to look at suffering and pain of the people, be it today or 25 years ago. “When we marched to the Union Buildings, we relocated the site of struggle. After the famous 1956 Women’s March, we were the first to march there—cassocks and all!” Fr Pearson recalled the slogan on the banner that was unfurled: “May our Lord be our Saviour in time of oppression”. “It was powerful—and to think we had agreed not to have any banners. It still speaks to me today.” Fr Pearson quoted Isaiah 38:2: “Oh Lord, I am oppressed, be my security.” “One sees how the prophet was penning a situation of great vulnerability, forced into a culture that deprived them of their freedom. They had to re-imagine what they could hold together. “Deep down we felt the same in 1985 with the people from the townships, where many of us came from. We remembered how one of the brothers of our fellow seminari-

ather Pearson pointed out that in our society people, especially the poor, are being increasingly marginalised through gender-based violence, Aids and xenophobia, among others. “For us in the Church there also needs to be a pastoral paradigm shift. We see God working through his prophets and through Jesus confronting the centres of power that bring suffering. 'Today we need to bring hope and a call for action, and in this way the march of 1985 will become a hot memory.” Warning that religion cannot be privatised, Fr Pearson said that “there is a tendency today to separate politics and religion, to separate spirituality and reality. “In certain quarters there is a sense that we have reached the promised land. On the other hand looking at the suffering of the poor, there are many who complain the ‘new democracy’ does not mean much to them”. Fr Pearson asked whether the government does not need “the prophetic role of the Church”. But even within the Church there is a need to become more vocal about suffering, he said. “We need to sensitise other priests, even our bishops,” he said. “In general we are not as vocal about suffering, especially of the poor, as we were during the apartheid years. It is so easy to become preoccupied with, for instance, the liturgy and become cultic priests and even fall into the trap of individualism,” the priest said. He warned: “People will say our government and our Church have let us down.” n Fr Mokesh Morar is the director of Sekwele Centre for Social Reflection in Bethlehem, Free State.

HOLY SITES TRAVEL HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGE with Fr Joseph Wilson SEPTEMBER 2011 Organised by Kevin & Debbie Contact: Elna Ferreira on 082 975 0034, E-Mail: elna@holysites.co.za, Website: www.holysites.co.za

The southern Cross, January 26 to February 1, 2011

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Property to dispose of? Mater Homes needs you

HE Right to Live Mater Homes voluntary organisation in Johannesburg is hoping to open a residence very soon in the West Rand for poor, abused and pregnant women. The aim is to help, encourage and support them, especially before and after childbirth.

The residence will be open to all irrespective of religion, race, age or colour. The organisation urgently needs to hear from any individual or group who may have a property—large or small, in the West Rand area, which might be made available. Right to Live would prefer a

gratuitous offer, but alternatively, the building could be leased or purchased for this purpose. Please contact 011 477 6604 (after 19:00), or 011 768 5754, 082 360 4815 (Br Whyte) Culture of Life Camp aign, Catholic Arch diocese of Johannesburg cultureoflifejhb@g mail.com

Answers to awkward questions

HE article by Fr Patrick Noonan is off the highest quality of professional PR I have ever

seen. Congratulations on running this article on such a controversial issue that was hanging around the

Church. It is well written in easy language for a layperson to understand. This article should be in text books in our training institutions on how to answer difficult, awk-

Community Calendar To place your event, call Claire Allen at 021 465 5007 or e-mail c.allen@scross.co.za (publication subject to space)

BETHlEHEM: Shrine of our lady of Bethlehem at Tsheseng, Maluti mountains; Thursdays 09:30, Mass, then exposition of the Blessed sacrament. 058 721 0532 CaPE ToWn: Holy Hour to pray for priests of the archdiocese, 2nd saturday monthly at villa Maria shrine Kloof nek Rd, 16:00-17:00. Good Shepherd, Bothasig. Perpetual Eucharistic adoration in our chapel. all hours. all welcome. Day of Prayer held at springfield Convent starting at 10.00 ending 15.30 last saturday of every month—all welcome. For more information contact Jane hulley 021 790 1668 or 082 783 0331 DURBan: St anthony’s, Durban

Central: Tuesday 09:00am Mass with novena to st anthony. First Friday 5.30pm Mass—Divine Mercy novena prayers. Tel: 031 309 3496 JoHannESBURG: Exposition of the Blessed sacrament: first Friday of the month at 09:20 followed by holy Mass at 10:30. holy hour: first saturday of each month at 15:00. at our Lady of the angels, Little Eden, Edenvale. Tel: 011 609 7246 First Saturday of each month rosary prayed 10:30-12:00 outside Marie stopes abortion clinic, Peter Place, Bryanston. Joan Beyrooti, 011 782 4331 PREToRIa: First Saturday: Devotion to Divine Mercy. st Martin de Porres, sunnyside, 16:30. Tel shirley-anne 012 361 4545.

NEW FOR 2011 • ALL WELCOME! 24 September to 2 October

EMMANUEL CATHEDRAL DURBAN PILGRIMAGE Visiting Assisi, Rome and Vatican City Organised and led by Rev Fr Stephen Tully Cost: R15 520

Tel: (031) 266 7702 Fax: (031) 266 8982 Email: judyeichhorst@telkomsa.net A list of current pilgrimages can be viewed by clicking on the Valley View Travel icon at www.catholic-friends.com

ward questions. I am so proud of the Church for coming forward and answering this issue because it has caused a lot of heckles from the secular world. I am blessed by you. Yster Smal, Pretoria

liturgical Calendar Sun, Jan 30, Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Zeph 2:3; 3:12-13, Ps 146:6-10, 1 Cor 1:26-31, Mt 5:1-12 Mon, Jan 31, St John Bosco, Heb 11:32-40, Ps 31:20-24, Mk 5:1-20 Tues, Feb 1, feria Heb 12:1-4, Ps 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32, Mk 5:21-43 Wed, Feb 2, Presentation of the Lord Mal 3:1-4, Ps 24:7, 8, 9, 10, Heb 2:14-18, Lk 2:22-40 or 2:22-32 Thurs, Feb 3, St Blaise, St Ansgar Heb 12:18-19, 21-24, Ps 48:2-3, 3-4, 9, 10-11, Mk 6:7-13 Fri, Feb 4, feria Heb 13:1-8, Ps 27:1, 3, 5, 8-9, Mk 6:14-29 Sat, Feb 5, St Agatha Heb 13:15-17, 20-21, Ps 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6, Mk 6:30-34 Sun, Feb 6, Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Is 58:7-10, Ps 112:4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 1 Cor 2:1-5, Mt 5:13-16

Family Reflections 2011 FAMILY THEME: PEACE ON EARTH BEGINS AT HOME” JANUARY: PEACE BEGINS WITH A SMILE – Mother Teresa

INTRODUCTION Life is the beginning and is at the heart of a family, each family at home and the Church as God’s family. Parents are co-creators with God as new life is conceived. Couples and all family members are life-giving to one another as they sustain life in all its stages from conception until natural death and as they nurture their relationships in a life-giving manner. Being life-giving is the ultimate in justice. In our own lives and in the Church-asFamily let us ask how life-giving we are in all our relationships? Peace, like charity, begins at home. 30th 4th Sunday of the Year A. Our Nothing ness. The Beatitudes are described as the Spirit of the Kingdom, as opposed to the Law of the Kingdom. It is not easy to understand that being poor in spirit is being humble, acknowledging our total dependence on God and a calling to follow Jesus’ way; being gentle, merciful and pure in heart. Study and discuss the Beatitudes and share on the particular qualities we see in each other and consider what there is to smile about.

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DEaTH HYaMS—Cav. Domitilla Rota. it is with great sadness we announce the death on Tuesday 18 January 2011 of Cav. Domitilla Rota hyams, founder of LiTTLE EDEn society, and wife of Danny hyams. a vigil will be held, at our Lady of the angels Chapel, LiTTLE EDEn, Edenvale home, corner Wagenaar Road and harris avenue, Edenglen, Edenvale; on sunday 30 January 2011 from 12:00 – 22:00 where the coffin will lie in repose. GPs coordinates: south 26º07.877' East 028º10.758'. The Requiem Mass followed by the burial will take place at the holy Family Chapel, Elvira Rota village, Bapsfontein on Monday 31 January 2011 at 14:00. GPs coordinates: south 25º57.792' East 028º23.235'.Thereafter refreshments will be served. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to LiTTLE EDEn society. Queries can be directed to the office on 011 609 7246. SWanSon, Bertrand Peter. 4/6/1944— 17/1/2011. Beloved husband of vera, father of Paul and Talitha, father-inlaw of Leonie and Eugene, brother of Cecily, passed away peacefully in Johannesburg. Deeply mourned and missed by his wife, children, grandchildren, relatives and friends. May he rest in peace. Van SCHooR—For the late amos Bagley who passed away 22/12/2010. Eternal rest grant unto him o Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in perfect peace. amen. safe in the arms of Jesus. We miss you daddy, your loving sons, daughters, daughters-and sonsin-law, all your grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Louise.

In MEMoRIaM Da SIlVa in loving memory of Terence who passed away on January 25, 2006. Rest in peace. always remembered by your wife Mary, all the families, friends, parishioners of holy Family, our lady of Fatima and the Legion of Mary (Bell ville)

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PRaYERS o MoST beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, fruitful vine, splendour of heaven, blessed Mother of the son of God, immaculate virgin, assist me in my necessity. o star of the sea, help me and show me where you are, Mother of God. Queen of heaven and earth i humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succour me in my necessity. There is none who can withstand your power, o Mary conceived without sin, pay for us who have recourse to thee. holy Mary, i place this cause in your hands. “say this prayer for 3 consecutive days and then publish. LM.

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5th Sunday (February 6) Readings: Isaiah 58:7-10, Psalm 112:4-9 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, Matthew 5:13-16

HY is it that not everyone believes in the God in whom you and I believe? Is it, perhaps, because when people look at us, they do not see the gospel values that we proclaim? That is an age-old problem of religion: our high ideals inevitably expose us to the charge of hypocrisy. The first reading is a powerful reminder that religious people do not always get it right. All well and good, the prophet argues, if you fast when you are supposed to, but it is useless unless it turns out to others: “Share your bread with the hungry, and bring the oppressed and homeless into your home, clothe the naked when you see them.” That is when the message will go out to our world: “Then your light shall burst through like the dawn.” And not only that, but our prayers will start to get somewhere: “Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer, you will cry, and he’ll say ‘I’m here’.” And once more God’s thoughts turn to the poor, “if you give your bread to the hungry...then your light shall rise in the darkness”. The psalm continues the message, and

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Be a light in the world Nicholas King SJ sunday Reflections sings about those who fear the Lord: “[their] light shines in the darkness, they are gracious, and merciful and just”. “A good man is generous and lends”, we gather, and we gaze nervously at the meanness of our lives, as he continues to sing of “those who manage their business with justice...generously they give to the poor, their righteousness stands for ever”. We shall do well to sing this song in the coming week. In the second reading , Paul is reminding his readers of the values that they should be living by, if others are to come to faith. He brings to their minds the circumstances of his first arriving in Corinth, after a somewhat unsuccessful visit to Athens. Now the Corinthians had evidently

been complaining that he was a bit lacking in the “wisdom” that they valued (and which Paul rather despised) and the “rhetoric” that their best Sophists (perhaps “spin-doctors” would be the best translation). But after his failure in Athens, he reminds them that he arrived “in weakness and fear and much nervousness”, having decided to know nothing among you other than Jesus Christ—and him crucified!” So when he had come to them, his “rhetoric” and his “preaching” was not in the clever language of the “spin-doctor”, “but in demonstrating the Spirit’s power”. And the reason? “So that your faith should not depend on cleverness, but on God’s power.” God’s values are different from ours, and they constantly challenge us; what is more, if we fail to allow that challenge to prick the bubble of our complacency, then we shall not bring others to belief. The point is deftly made in the g ospel, as Jesus uses two metaphors, of “light” and “salt”, as he continues his Sermon on the Mount; and he addresses his willing disciples as “the salt of the earth”, which seems

Kids say the darndest things S a father and grandfather, it never ceases to amaze me, the logic that kids come up with. Take that wonderful story of a little girl in Catechism class who was working away at her colouring book with quite considerable verve and passion. Her teacher asked what she was drawing and she replied: “A picture of God.” The teacher smiled, put her arms round the little girl and said as compassionately as she could: “But, no one knows what God looks like.” The kid stopped drawing, let out a deep sigh that only children can emit when adults just don’t understand anything and said: “They will in a few minutes.” Later, at that same catechism class the children were asked how grown-ups decide who they are going to marry. What followed can only be described as completely naive logic with a word or two of sheer wisdom and foresight thrown in. “You have to find somebody who likes the same stuff. If you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.”—Alan, age 10. “No person really decides before they grow up who they’re going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you’re stuck with.”— Kristen, age 10. “Twenty-three is the best age to get

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Chris Moerdyk The Last Word married because you know the person FOREVER by then.”—Camille, age 10. The teacher then asked how a stranger can tell if two people are married and young Derrick, 8 came up with what has to be the most logical answer possible: “They will be yelling at the same kids.” What do you think your mom and dad have in common? “Both don’t want any more kids.”— Lori, age 8. What do most people do on a date? “Dates are for having fun and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.”—Lynnette, age 8. “On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.”—Martin, age 10. What would you do on a first date that wasn’t working out? “I’d run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns.”—Craig, age 9. When is it okay to kiss someone?

“When they’re rich”—Pam, age 7. “The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn’t want to mess with that.”— Curt, age 7. “The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them... It’s the right thing to do.”—Howard, age 8. Is it better to be single or married ? “It’s better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.”—Anita, age 9 And my absolute favourite is.... How would you make a marriage work? “Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck.”—Ricky, age 10. And finally, how about this for some juvenile wisdom? “Never trust a dog to watch your food” —Patrick, 10. “When your dad is mad and asks you, ‘Do I look stupid?’ don’t answer him”— Michael, 14. “Don’t pick on your sister when she’s holding a cricket bat”—Joel, 10. “Puppies still have bad breath even after eating a Tic Tac”—Andrew, 9. “When your mom is mad at your dad, don’t let her brush your hair”—Taylia, 11. “Never allow your three-year-old brother in the same room as your homework”—Tracey, 14. “You can’t hide a piece of broccoli in your milk”—Armir, 9. “Don’t sneeze in front of your mom, when you’re eating a biscuit”—Mitchell, 12. “If you want a kitten, start out by asking for a horse”—Naomi, 15. “Never tell your mom her diet’s not working”—Michael, 14. “If you get a bad school report, show it to your mom when she’s on the phone”—Alyesha, 13. My favourite quote from the past year was from my three-year-old granddaughter Emma, who was chatting to a neighbour about her older brother having broken his collarbone falling out of a tree. “Are you sad about your brother being hurt, Emma?” She replied “Jesus is sad and God is sad. But I’m OK....” So, here’s to 2011 being yet another year of the child.

flattering in a way, but then he reminds them what it means: “If the salt loses its edge, how is it going to be salted? It is good for nothing except to be thrown out and trampled down by people.” The second image is that of “light”, and the disciples are told that they are “the light of the world”, which may be a bit of a shock, for they (and we) will have supposed that it was Jesus who was the light of the world. So now we have to take seriously our task in this darkened world. Jesus makes a bit of a joke of it: “A city cannot be hidden if it lies on top of a mountain.” Similarly, “you don’t turn on a light and put it under a bucket. You put it on a lamp-stand, and it gives light to everybody in the house.” And the light is not intended to make sure that people will gasp in admiration of us; our light is to “shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father, the one in Heaven”. Let us remember, this week, our task of bringing people to God, simply by the way we live.

Southern Crossword #429

ACROSS 3. About medical a/c getting public praise (9) 8. Donation for the poor (4) 9. Franciscan of the Merry Band (5,4) 10. Ran aid to early pope (5) 11. One in a red suit (5) 14. Fertile spot in the sands (5) 15. Storyline could be a gas (4) 16. At the end of three months it may glow (5) 18. It carries incense on the lake? (4) 20. Pattern of perfection (5) 21. Thing about in the dark (5) 24. Any one of the biblical writers (6) 25. Noah’s source of illumination? (9) 26. Beholds dioceses (4) 27. Admittance (9)

DOWN 1. Old Roman cemeteries (9) 2. Ma is born a member of Milanese rite (9) 4. Ruth reaped it (Ruth 2) (4) 5. See Al hire out (5) 6. Entombs (6) 7. Engrave (4) 9. Kind of hood for the liar (5) 11. The nun’s custom? (5) 12. Pays attention (5,4) 13. One who comes to court with clean hands may use it (4,5) 17. Tear into shreds (3,2) 19. Ilovit? Come back and see famed Italian gardens (6) 22. Renders assistance (5) 23. Rejoice and be... (Mt 5) (4) 24. Lamb of God conceals old pulpit (4) Answers on page 11

CHURCH CHUCKLE A Sunday school teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan. She asked the class, “If you saw a person lying on the roadside, all wounded and bleeding, what would you do?” A thoughtful little girl broke the hushed silence, “I think I’d throw up.” Send us your favourite Catholic joke, preferably clean and brief, to The Southern Cross, Church Chuckle, Po Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000.